Kyra's Menagerie
by ObsidianFlutes
Summary: In a land of beasts, a young hunter is taken on by an eccentric mentor with more to hide than it seems.
1. Chapter 1: Selection Day

**Hi guys, so after SUCH A LONG HIATUS, I'm finally back! Don't worry, I'm not dead, I just hit a writer's block and life happened. And I discovered a new game into which I've sunk hundreds of hours: Monster Hunter! Legends of Terra will be back soon, I promise, but I've decided to also give you guys a new story to skim. You're welcome.**

Prologue

 _There is a place, one of rolling hills and valleys, where strange creatures roam. Wondrous beasts of every color and shape traipse the endless horizon or stretch wings upon the sky, each with its own niche in the ecological balance. They are the hunters and the hunted, from the oldest of the great Elder Dragons to the humblest herbivore, each in his place, and each faithfully documented by Man. Every evolution, every ecology is dutifully recorded and stored away, in hopes of usefulness._

 _Unfortunately, when men and dragons clash, the consequences... well... require no explanation. This is why the Guild was created, a society of combat-savvy men and women who became the first licensed hunters. Thus the hunters' art was passed down, and when the beasts attacked, the Guild was always there to counter them, keeping both human and beast casualties to a minimum. For hundreds of years, there was always a Guild to keep people safe, but in many regions the art was only passed down through a select few apprentices every generation._

 _This is the tale of one of them, his mentor, and her secrets._

Chapter 1: Selection Day

"It shall be done," said the headmaster, writing some notes on his scroll. "Marisa Rey will be apprenticed to Sir Keisi." It was Selection Day at the Academy of Monster Studies, and the senior hunters were being sent off for their apprenticeships with licensed hunters. Sir Keisi, one of the Guild's youngest licensed hunters, gave a single grim nod and smiled very briefly at his young apprentice, who eagerly followed him as he swept out of the building.

Felix sat in the middle of the line of soon-to-be-apprentices, eyeing the selection of mentors. There were many men and women in the line and a few caught his eye. A musclebound woman in a ponytail; a tall blond gentleman who could have been Sir Keisi's older brother; a small, fey girl with piercing blue eyes and a fluffy white cape around her bony shoulders. She caught his eye and grinned at Felix, and he shuddered and looked away. _Dear Lord, is she creepy._

The headmaster's voice snapped him back to consciousness, announcing the next apprentice-mentor partnership. "Toren Braceman will be apprenticed to Nora Malone." Another student stood up and followed his new mentor out of the building. Felix gauged the line and saw that there were only two more students between him and his future mentor. He wondered who it would be and hoped it wouldn't be the crazy girl.

Another student stood, formally examined by the mentors, her talents judged before selection. Sometimes, a student was unlucky and failed to be chosen because he just wasn't cut out to be a Guild hunter. Felix was worried this might happen to him - he hadn't been doing too well recently. "It shall be done - Madaline Simmons will be apprenticed to Lancelot Keys."

There were five more mentors left - the blond gentleman, the crazy girl, and three other experienced-looking hunters. Only one student stood between Felix and the next several years of his life, and he clenched his fists tightly, his nails pressing tiny crescents into his palms. He felt a bead of sweat form on his temple as the next student left with his mentor.

"Felix Thoroforce, please stand up." Felix stood reluctantly, wiping his hands on his tunic.

The blond man walked forward and looked him over, from head to toe. After asking Felix some questions about his combat and asking the headmaster, he nodded. "I'm sorry, kid. There's nothing I can teach you," he said quietly, then backed up again, the next hunter stepping forward.

Felix was rejected by the second and third hunters as well. His spirits dropped as he realized the two options he had: either an apprenticeship with the tiny girl in the cape for several years, or a life of studying tracks and dung.

The crazy girl stepped forth and looked him all over, walking calmly around him and examining him from every angle, head to toe. She coolly prodded the calluses on his hands and inspected the sewn-up tears in his tunic.

Finally she stepped back and, in a very clear voice, said, "Sure, I can take him."

Felix breathed a sigh of both relief and resignation as the headmaster intoned, "It shall be done. Felix Thoroforce will be apprenticed to Kyra Alistora."

As they left the building, Kyra gave Felix an inquisitive glance, her head tilted to one side. "Cool to meet you," she said cheerfully, sticking out her hand. He refused to shake it. _This might be a much longer five years than I thought._


	2. Chapter 2: First Impressions

Chapter 2: First Impressions

After a tense, hour-long ride in a Gargwa-drawn cart, Kyra paid the Felyne with the reins and stepped out of the vehicle, beckoning Felix to follow her. As the cart trundled away, he took in his new surroundings. Kyra lived on a beautiful little plot of land, a rolling sea of fresh grass. A handful of simple buildings were visible not too far away: a couple of small cottages, a pen full of Aptonoth and a barn, and the largest building, a dojo.

They slowly traversed the field, Kyra walking delicately on her tiptoes and Felix refusing to look at her. When they reached the dojo, she opened the door and motioned him inside.

The dojo was very clean and well-kept. Various weapons and monster trophies lined the walls, many of them spoils from Kyra's numerous hunts. Chests full of supplies lay at the back, with a series of framed papers above them with glyphs of various wyverns.

Kyra stood in the middle of the concrete floor and bade Felix sit down in front of her.

"First of all, I'm not crazy in the slightest," she announced. Felix stirred nervously, but her expression was not one of offense, but of amusement. "I'll have you know that I've got my wits about me just fine. I would prefer it if you thought of me as just... eccentric."

"How did you - " he started.

Kyra waved dismissively. "Oh, everyone thinks that when I first meet them, you can just tell. First impressions, right?" He said nothing, so she changed the subject. "So, Thoroforce. I'm not one of those mentors who makes you wash dishes for three years before you first touch a weapon, but I DO have standards and ground rules. First - clean up after yourself. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's sharp objects lying around the dojo. Use your freaking mind," she snapped, tapping her temples. Felix nodded.

"Second, don't kill the Aptonoths unless we're in need of meat. Livestock are useful and I will not have you doing sword practice on my animals.  
Third, outside the borders of this property are the wyvernlands, crawling with monsters. Until I've assessed that you have advanced enough to take them on, you may not leave the property on your own unless you have a damn good reason to go back to the city, in which case I will happily ring up a Gargwa cart for you and even pay for it.

"Fourth, if I blow this whistle..." - at this she took a small silver whistle out of her pocket and tossed it casually in the air - "...you stop whatever you're doing and wait for instructions. And, finally, Rule Number Five."

She paused, looked hesitantly at the ceiling, took a deep breath and planted her hands on her hips as she looked back at Felix. "I'm a very good fighter. If you're stuck in combat, I will intervene - _but only if I know you cannot escape yourself._ Got all that?"

Felix nodded. Kyra grinned at him and said, "Great. As long as you follow those ground rules and listen to what I say in training, I'll make sure you get the best Guild hunter training money can buy. Any questions?" He shook his head.

Kyra nodded and drew her fluffy cape tighter around her thin shoulders. She shook out her arms and jogged in place for a moment. Then she made a sweeping gesture around her. "In my curriculum, we start with the basics of combat. Then, after a year or two, preliminary field work. By the end of these five years, I would be surprised if you weren't an expert fighter or didn't know the habits of every wyvern out there. See the shiny swords and things on the walls? Pick one and we'll start there."

Felix looked at the walls. "Uh... you choose?"

Kyra shrugged. "Fair enough." Stretching up onto her tiptoes, she reached up to take a pair of wooden swords and leather shields from the wall. "Please excuse these weapons' appearance. If I gave you a real sword, people would get hurt. Now," she said, passing him the crude weapon, "What do you know about basic fencing, Thoroforce?"


	3. Chapter 3: The Duel and the Arena

Chapter 3: The Duel and the Arena

And so, for several days, Kyra taught Felix the art of fencing and swordfighting, using the wood swords and leather shields. He would wake aching and go to bed aching even more, where his dreams would be full of maneuvers and counter maneuvers. "Let the sword be an extension of your arm," Kyra often said. "Your weapon is as much a part of you as your hands and feet." She blocked every stroke without any visible effort, giving him pointers at every standstill. After two weeks, she gave him a test.

"All right, sunshine, we're going to try something," she chirped gaily. "Rules are simple: Prove to me that you can fence and you pass. You pass, we move on to the next stage of training."

"What do you mean, prove I can fence?" Felix asked, confused.

Kyra shrugged. "We're going to have a quick fight. Knock me down and you pass. Let's go, Thoroforce."

"Right." Felix steadied the wooden sword in his hand, testing its familiar weight and heft. He swung it to the side, only to be countered by Kyra's shield. He paused, remembering Kyra's frequent advice, and saw her grin at him. He grinned back, knowingly, and snapped the sword to the side, where it was quickly parried, but he followed it up with a jab, using the rebound to prod his mentor's sternum. A side swipe aimed at the hips sent her diving to the side, where she immediately recovered and leapt forward, poised to strike at his head. Felix held up his shield and slashed with the wooden blade, striking Kyra in the belly and knocking her down.

She stood, nodding approvingly and holding her middle. "Well done, Thoroforce. Your maneuvers are crafty and you are a decent fencer. You can fight off humans just fine."

"Thank you, Mistress Kyra," he said, unable to hold back a small smile.

Kyra held up a finger. "However," she continued, "Guild hunters do not fight humans. We fight wyverns. Now that you have proven that you can swing a weapon against a person, we're going to try it against a monster soon."

The next day, she knocked on the door of Felix's small cottage. "Heads up, sunshine. We're doing something special today and you'd better be out this door in ten minutes."

"What's going on?" Felix asked blearily, standing from his cot.

"It's a surprise. Hurry up and let's skedaddle," Kyra barked from outside. He could hear her receding footsteps over the grass as he pulled on his tunic. Outside, there was a gargwa-drawn cart. Kyra was climbing in when she saw him and beckoned him to join her. Inside the cart, Felix noticed bruises on her forearms.

"Oh, those?" she said when he asked. "That's from yesterday in our little battle royale." She didn't seem sure of the answer, and Felix was in some disbelief since he had never actually struck her arms, but it seemed believable, so he let it drop.

After another hour in the gargwa cart, the Felyne dropped Felix and Kyra off at a large, open building complex. Felix's eyes widened as he took it all in. Kyra slapped him on the back. "Take it all in, sunshine," she said jovially. "This is the Arena, and you will soon get to know it front to back and top to bottom, because we're going to be coming here every few weeks for the next five years."

"Whoa," said Felix. It was all there really was to say. The whole development looked like the campus of the Academy of Monster Studies, except a great deal larger. The Armory, where weapon and armor forging took place; the Long Hall, meals and announcements; student dormitories; the Bestiary, with stalls containing live monsters; and the largest central building, the Arena. This building was where hunters worth their salt could go up against monsters from the Bestiary for tests, lessons, and recreation.

"It's like summer camp, except year-round and for Guild hunters-in-training," said Kyra. "You'll get to know this place REALLY well soon enough. It's a place for apprentices to train and study, and while you're here, mentors can go on quests without needing to worry about their students."

"Are you leaving me here?" asked Felix.

"Not this time. Today we're going up against your first actual monster, and then we're going home." Kyra looked over, saw how alarmed Felix was, and chuckled. "Don't worry about it. We're going against a raptorial bird wyvern. A pushover."

"Keep saying that and maybe I'll believe it," Felix said, shuddering.


	4. Chapter 4: The First Blood

Chapter 4: The First Blood

Kyra led Felix to the entry desk of the great Arena and slapped her Guild-issued hunting license on the counter. The aide behind the counter nodded and said, "Welcome back, Miss Alistora. What'll it be today?"

"One Great Jaggi for me and my apprentice," she said. "I'll bring my own gear, can you supply standard-issue for the kid?"

"No problem," said the aide, smiling. "One steel sword and shield plus a full set of leather armor. You guys are in luck - we've just had a whole litter of Jaggi pups mature recently, so there should be a big guy raring to go. Your first Arena quest?" she asked Felix.

Felix nodded. "My first monster, period."

"Don't sweat it," said the aide. "We'll make sure our Jaggi goes easy on you, m'kay?"

Felix gulped nervously, and Kyra slapped him on the back and said, "He'll be fine. Don't worry about him."

"Okey-dokey. You folks are in luck - the Arena is open for walk-ins today. Take this ticket into the room on the left for your gear," the aide said, quickly filling out a blue slip of paper and handing it over the counter to Felix. "After that, you're free to proceed into the vestibule, where you'll find everything you'll need for the fight, and from there you'll see two big ol' doorways leading into the Arena. We've got staff standing by and monitoring, so they'll know when to escort you out once you finish your objective, or if they need to intervene for any reason. Any questions?"

Felix shook his head. "No, ma'am. Thank you."

"Don't mention it, kiddo. Best of luck against the Jaggi - everyone starts somewhere."

Felix took the ticket and followed Kyra into the indicated room. A huge, musclebound man stood at the window, in front of various racks of armor and weapons.

"Paper please," he intoned gruffly, holding out his massive palm. Felix nervously placed his equipment ticket in the man's massive palm. He stared at the tiny piece of blue paper for a moment, then grunted and lumbered off to retrieve some equipment.

Meanwhile, Kyra was retrieving some items from her knapsack. After removing her fluffy cape, she shrugged on a jacket made of some form of soft hide and zipped it up to her collarbone. Pulling out a pair of leggings and a waistlet made of the same material, she stepped into both, then set a strange-looking helmet on her head. It had a soft white mane and a single blue horn on the forehead.

She caught Felix staring at the armor and stated very simply, "Kirin armor. Softer than anything." Felix had briefly studied the Kirin and its subspecies in a Monster Studies class at the academy. However, having slept through that particular lesson, he knew next to nothing about the creature.

The huge man returned carrying a bundle of clothing and a steel sword and shield. He said nothing, but just grunted as he unceremoniously dumped the items next to Felix.

Kyra gestured after him as he slowly lumbered away. "I think Olav the Grim likes you. More than me, anyways."

"How... why... what?" Felix stammered, confused.

Kyra just shrugged and removed her weapon of choice from her bag, a sword and shield studded with crystalline Kirin horns. "I don't know. He was serving that position while I was a student and he never spoke to me once."

Felix started slipping on the leather armor. It was comfortable, if a bit stuffy, and fit reasonably well. He picked up the weapon - the sword was a real one this time, not the wooden one - and followed Kyra through the door into the vestibule.

The vestibule was a huge, high-ceilinged room that echoed with the faint sounds of machinery. On either side of the room was a towering metal gate, through which Felix could see the Arena. There was a brief flicker of motion on the other side of the gate, and he wondered if it could be his prey.

"Welcome to the slaying dome," Kyra said jovially, half joking. "Over there you'll see the supply box. Head over there and grab some stuff."

Felix obligingly opened the blue box, removing some whetstones, rations, and medicinal potions and placing them in a pouch on his back.

"Once you've geared up, follow me," Kyra said distantly, walking to the other end of the vast hall. Felix followed her to one of the great doors. She nodded, grinned, and heaved a lever on one side of the hall. They proceeded through the double gates into the main dome of the Arena.

The Great Jaggi was waiting.

Swift, well-muscled, its hooked claws sharp and shining, the raptor stalked the edges of the sandy arena. The sunshine from the skylight glinted on its pale lavender hide and sunset-colored frills. When the predator caught sight of his two human challengers, a deep growl issued from his throat.

Kyra gestured at the wyvern. "Have at 'em, rookie."

Felix, cautiously tiptoeing forward towards the growling Jaggi, began to slowly draw his sword as they circled each other.

The wyvern made the first move. Letting out a howl, it leaped forth, just missing Felix as he dodged and held up his shield. Rolling to the side, Felix smacked the Great Jaggi with his shield, throwing the monster off balance. Seeing his opportunity, Felix pounced and slashed, drawing blood and sending the monster staggering back a few feet.

Kyra nodded approvingly. "Stay on your toes and watch the tail."

As if on cue, the raptor lunged, pivoting on one hind leg and swinging its long tail. It struck Felix in the side, sending him flying. Remembering one of Kyra's bits of advice, he crouched as he hit the ground, standing and leaping forward, sword raised to slice.

Blood spurted and the Jaggi yowled in pain. Felix stared in horror. He had sliced off half the Jaggi's frill.

The raptor's snout wrinkled and it emitted a low snarl as blood dripped down its face. Felix had to roll swiftly to the side as it lunged forward, its toothy jaws wide open.

In between slashing and dodging, Felix yelled to Kyra, "Are you sure this is ethical? What am I gonna do?"

Kyra yelled back, "I've been lobbying for this to stop for years but it won't happen. Just finish him off - a Jaggi without his frills has a higher chance to get infections!"

"I can't do this!" he shouted. "I know I'm apprenticed to be a Guild hunter, but I just can't!"

Kyra sighed, watching him hack and slash his way around the arena. "Look, Thoroforce, if you can't bear to do it, do ya want me to do it for you?"

Felix glanced at his mentor, then back at the Jaggi. The beast was bleeding from numerous wounds. It was unsteady on its feet, missing big pieces of its frill, and moaning in pain. It whimpered, cowering.

He bit his lip and drew his sword, taking two little steps toward the monster. His eyes watered as he raised the sword.

From the other side of the arena, Kyra's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "My gods... is he gonna do it?"

Felix sighed and lowered his arms. The sword fell to his side with a _clang_ as he dropped to his knees. "I can't do it, Kyra."

Kyra nodded slowly and walked forward to the Jaggi. Drawing her Kirin-horn sword, she gently pushed the monster onto its side and, with a surgeon's precision, made two cuts in the lavender hide. The raptor's eyes faded as it died. The monster was beautiful in its demise; the elegant hide was cut and bloodied, with tufts of white down along its spine.

As the Arena staff entered to clean up the monster's still-warm corpse, Felix lowered his head in shame as a tear rolled down his face.


	5. Chapter 5: The Egg

Chapter 5: The Egg

Head hanging, Felix followed Kyra out of the arena's exit, where a sullen-looking aide regarded them from behind a desk with a small card reading "We Appreciate Your Business!" He was about to push open the door to leave when the aide asked, "You want it skinned?"

Felix bolted for the garbage can and began dry-heaving. Kyra gave the aide a dirty look, but nodded and plunked a couple of ten-zenny coins on the desk. "Send the materials to this address..."

As they climbed into the gargwa cart, Kyra rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry about it, Felix. It took me a long time before I was emotionally able to deal with it, too."

"It's not right," he said, his face pale. "This whole thing is no better than a cockfighting ring or something."

"I've been lobbying for a change of method for years, but so far this is the only way," she said, clenching her fist. "I mean, most of the time you actually have to kill the monsters in the field, and they have a whole lot of different monsters to practice on."

Felix lowered his head and stared at his hands. They were still slightly bloodied, and a tuft of the Jaggi's white down was stuck to his palm. His mentor sighed.

"Look, Felix," she said very quietly, "there is nothing I can do, but... the least I can do is arrange for the Jaggi's hide and claws to be sent to the ranch. I have an associate in the city, a gifted blacksmith. If you would like... we can take a trip to the city and use the materials to forge new equipment. You can have a shiny new sword, or a helmet, or even a bow. You name it, she can make it if you're willing to slip her the things she needs."

Felix said nothing. Kyra just sighed again and gently rubbed his back.

When they stepped out of the cart at Kyra's little development, she went to her own cottage while Felix wandered the area. In the last few weeks, he had learned the whole "ranch," as Kyra called it, front to back with the exception of one area - the barn. True to Kyra's rules, Felix had stayed away from the Aptonoths, but now he needed the animal company.

The Aptonoths were out to pasture, grazing the endless fields just outside the barn. Felix walked up to one and stroked its back, and it raised its head and mooed contentedly as it chewed on its cud. This Aptonoth was an old bull, one whom Kyra had had since he was a calf, and kept as the breeding male. His crest plate was huge and magnificent.

A fleeting shadow passed overhead, and Felix looked up to see a pair of not-so-distant dots circling over him. It was a Rathalos and a Rathian, most likely his mate, out to hunt. They were magnificent pair of beasts, well-adapted to almost any environment, their wings and scales healthy and their eyes keen as razors. Having been raised a farm boy himself, Felix had learned a fairly convincing herbivore whistle, so thinking quickly, he stuck his fingers in his mouth and emitted a low whistle, calling the Aptonoths to him and through the fireproof blast doors of the barn.

With the herd safely inside, he then looked around the inside of the barn. He had never been inside it before. The hearth crackled merrily in the center, underneath a skylight through which he could see the two wyverns circling. The walls were lined with stalls where the Aptonoths slept.

That was when he saw the object in the fire, and drew closer to the hearth to identify it. A huge, round, creamy white orb, bathed in the heart of the flames like a great and implacable pearl. It then struck Felix what it was.

A wyvern's egg.

Felix stepped forward in wonderment. The flames crackled softly around the egg in strange colors - red and green, pink and azure, silver and gold dancing around their fragile treasure. He recognized it as an egg laid by a Rathian, one of the largest eggs known. This one was especially large, so tall that if he had set it on the floor it would have reached his knees. He suddenly knew where Kyra had gotten her bruises - an egg of this size must be extremely heavy, after all. Looking at the egg made him think - how the Rathian had laid such a huge egg, how Kyra had been able to steal it, even pondering the size of the baby wyvern inside. In an egg of this size, it must have been enormous.

Then another thought struck him. Why was Kyra keeping a Rathian egg? Aside from herbivores, keeping wyverns was illegal throughout the whole realm.

The egg still sat in the center of the fire. It was utterly perfect, despite its unusually large size. Felix tilted his head, leaning forward towards it. It glowed softly in the heart of the dancing flames. How lovely it was. How smooth its creamy surface was and how beautifully it shone within the colorful fire, sheltered under its flameproof grate. He almost reached his hand forward to touch it, to feel the warm smoothness of the massive pearl.

There was a noise behind him, and he withdrew his hand and glanced behind him.

The blast doors to the barn were opening. Felix stood and hurriedly dove into an Aptonoth stall. Sitting silently in a pile of straw, he heard Kyra's footsteps as she entered the barn, looking for her herd. The creatures were milling around in the main area, away from the fire.

He peered over the top of the stall door, watching anxiously and ready to duck down. Kyra performed a head count on her animals, then sighed with relief and turned her attention to the fire. From a chest at the back she removed a pile of wood and hefted it to the fire pit, opening the grate and gently moving the egg to insert a few pieces of kindling. The fire took the gift, devouring the wood hungrily and flaring up as she replaced the grate. Then she crouched next to the fire pit, sighed in relief, and sat staring at the egg and the fire for a long time.

When Felix finally left the barn, it was dark and the Rathian and Rathalos were nowhere to be seen.


	6. Chapter 6: Meditation and the Fang

Chapter 6: The Fang

If Kyra knew that Felix had discovered the egg, she never let on. The day after the discovery, she was waiting calmly in the dojo when he walked in.

"Today we're doing something unique," she said. "I know you got sort of shook up about yesterday, so what we're going to learn is a useful little skill."

"And that would be?" asked Felix, relieved. He didn't want to pick up his sword and shield again just yet.

Kyra sat down on the concrete floor of the dojo and crossed her legs. "Meditation," she said, closing her eyes. "Being aggressive is a valuable trait of being a hunter, but it is just as valuable to be calm."

Felix sat and closed his own eyes, trying to void his mind. Kyra's soothing voice entered his thoughts. "Just try not to think of anything."

"That's hard," he replied.

"Have you ever had a dreamless sleep?"

"Well..." he floundered. "Are you saying this is like sleep?"

"Maybe," his mentor ventured. "Try to only be aware of your surroundings."

Felix tried. He felt the cool concrete below him, was aware of the roof and the walls, and had a sudden awareness of his feet and hands. He felt like a human island of calm in the silence of the dojo.

"Amazing," he whispered, after what felt like hours. Opening his eyes, he saw Kyra smiling at him.

"You're a natural," she said. "You've been meditating for a good half an hour on your first try. Feel better?"

Felix nodded. "I feel ready for anything. I still regret the Jaggi, though."

"Don't worry about it, Thoroforce," she replied, standing up. "Speaking of which..." At this she walked over to a shelf at the back of the dojo and removed a package wrapped in the Arena's signature royal blue paper. "This came while you were meditating. You didn't even notice, by the way."

Felix stood and took the package, pulling the string and unfolding the paper. His breath caught in his throat.

The hide, scales, fangs, claws, and even part of the frill of the Jaggi. They had been expertly removed from the monster's body, as well as cleaned and disinfected. The hide was tough, supple, and a beautiful lavender color. He picked up one of the Jaggi's fangs and looked it over.

"I want to wear this as an earring," he said, fingering his small steel Academy identification earring.

Kyra shrugged. "We can make that happen for you. Now what about the rest of the animal?"

Felix fingered the lavender hide. "Put me in touch with your blacksmith friend."

Kyra smiled. "Don't sweat it, sunshine. You won't regret this one bit. Now, go grab some food if you feel like it. It's lunchtime." Felix nodded and wandered to the back of the dojo, where Kyra kept supplies of food and water. Unseen, she slipped out of the dojo and fluttered soundlessly to the barn.

Felix spread some aptonoth butter on toast and munched pensively as he contemplated the raptor fang in his hand. It was small and quite perfect. Holding his toast in his teeth, he removed his Academy earring. It was engraved with his name and student number, and while staring at the wyvern fang in one hand and the steel ring in the other, he closed his hand around the wyvern fang and hurled away the Academy ring. _This is my life now. I'm going to be a hunter._

He was taking the last bite of toast when Kyra stormed in. Her face and cape were speckled with ash.

"Listen to me, Thoroforce," she snapped. "The Aptonoths didn't show themselves into the barn yesterday."

"There were wyverns out!" he protested. "They would have all been killed."

"Fair point," she said. "You saw the... you know, in the fire..."

Felix nodded. "I saw."

Kyra looked at the ceiling and took a very deep breath. "As of now, Rule Number Six is officially in effect."

Felix looked at her inquisitively. She turned her head, her hand on the door.

"No questions. At all," she said sharply. "Class is dismissed. Go back to your lodging."


	7. Chapter 7: Heffa's Forge

Chapter 7: Heffa's Forge

The package of Jaggi parts bounced on Felix's lap as the cart trundled over the cobblestone roads. A wooden arch stretched above, bearing the words _WELCOME TO PLASSEN TOWN, POP. 13,000._

"This is Plassen," Kyra said rather unnecessarily, stepping out of the cart and handing the Felyne driver some coins. "My blacksmith friend lives here. She's the best at her craft that there is - raised by dwarves, studied under a Wyverian smith, made weapons for some of the best out there. I've told her many times, she could - and should - be working at the capitol," she added, rolling her eyes.

"And I've told you many times, I'll never step foot in that place!" came a strident female voice from across the square. Sauntering casually towards them was a musclebound, soot-covered young woman in a welding mask and a blacksmith's apron.

Kyra chuckled softly as she embraced her friend. "Heffa, you stubborn girl! How the heck are ya?"

"Oh, ya know. A blacksmith," said Heffa, shrugging. "Business is slow, but the funny thing is, nobody has pieced together how all the strongest hunters are from Plassen! Who's the kid?"

Felix stepped forward. "My name is Felix Thoroforce. I'm Kyra's apprentice." He stuck out his hand, only to have it crushed in a handshake.

"Pleasure to see you both. Name's Hephestia, but you can call me Heffa. What can I do for ya today, folks?" Heffa said, releasing Felix's hand and walking back across the square to the smithy. Kyra and Felix fell in step behind her.

"I'd like my staff back from repairs, and my apprentice here has a whole bunch of Jaggi spoils," Kyra replied, jogging to keep up. "You'd better have it ready, Heffa. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to find that Rathalos Ruby."

"Yeah, I've got it done, don't fret about it," Heffa snapped as they walked into the smithy. Reaching up to a weapon rack, she pulled down a slender staff and a large, menacing insect with enormous jaws. The staff was a beautiful piece of work, made out of silver Rathalos scales and golden Rathian spikes, with a massive, glittering ruby set in the gold end and a fiery blade set in the silver end. Kyra took it gratefully and strapped the staff on her back, while the insect chirruped and scuttled to its usual mooring place on her right arm.

"Now," said Heffa, turning to Felix, "let's see these Jaggi spoils." Felix carefully undid the string and unwrapped the materials, handing them to Heffa piece by piece. She let out a "hmmm" as she turned a piece of hide over in her hands, examining its color and quality. "It's alright. You get this from the Arena?" Felix nodded. Heffa turned around and went to a supply chest in the back of her shop, removing some iron bars and a few sturdy monster bones.

"Do you have a preference?" said Heffa. "If you've got something specific in mind, check out this list of different features for weapons, or if you want armor, I can take your measurements here." She passed Felix a checklist of different weapons, with their features listed next to them. Felix marveled at the variety.

"Hey! Sunshine!" Kyra shouted from across the smithy, where Heffa was taking her measurements for armor. "I know the variety is overwhelming. You're gonna be an expert in every single one of those weapons in a few years, so pick whichever one you like!" Felix looked back down at the checklist and selected _Charge Blade_.

Heffa returned and looked at the list. "Great choice," she said admiringly, giving Felix a pat on the shoulder. "I'll be a few hours making this, so why don't you go get a bite to eat while I get started?"

Kyra and Felix sat in a small cafe across the street from the smithy, watching passers-by. Felix carefully looked around before directing his next question to Kyra in a secretive whisper.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is there a wyvern egg in the barn?"

Kyra blinked, then took a sip from her tea, unperturbed. "You know, sunshine, once we've covered some weapons more thoroughly, I'd say it's about time we try doing some preliminary fieldwork."

"You didn't answer my question, Kyra."

Kyra leaned close enough for Felix to smell the tea on her breath. "That's not something I should talk about in public," she said in a barely audible hiss. "I'll tell you later, but it's not a question I'm answering where other hunters can hear me." Her voice carried threats in it, and when she leaned back into her chair her blue eyes glittered intimidatingly as if to say _Pick your words carefully now_.

Felix shifted uncomfortably in his seat until Kyra lowered her gaze. When she looked back up her eyes were as cheerful as ever. "What do you say to some simple deliveries once you know how to throw that Charge Blade around?" she chirped, a little desperately.

Felix picked at his food. "All right."

Kyra beamed and snatched a morsel from his plate, winking mischievously at him as a Felyne messenger entered the cafe with a slip of paper. "Meowstress Alistora? Your order from the blacksmith is completed."

"Perfect," Kyra chirped, taking the proffered receipt and scratching the Felyne behind the ears. Slapping some coins on the table, she stood and breezed out of the cafe. Felix, following her, saw her motioning from the doorway of Heffa's smithy.

Heffa's welding mask was up, and she was holding a beautiful, shining sword and shield decorated in lavender Jaggi hide. The edges were decorated with gleaming claws that caught the light. "Check out your new Charge Blade," she said proudly, handing Felix the new weapon.

Felix hoisted the shield, tested the sword's weight in his hand. "Oh, hell yes."


	8. Chapter 8: Shape Shift

Chapter 8: Shape Shift

"All right, sunshine," Kyra chirped, rubbing her hands together. "I'm sure you've picked up that we're gonna spend a few weeks with each weapon, get you used to how it handles. Remember, you're using it against wyverns - so you've gotta be able to hold your own with whatever you're holding in your hands." She picked up the box containing Felix's new charge blade and placed it on the floor of the dojo. "May I?"

He shrugged. She opened the box and removed the brand-new weapon from the tissue paper. Taking the sword in her right hand and the shield in her left, she pressed a minuscule switch on the hilt. A field of barely perceptible red light snapped into existence around the blade, and as Felix watched in disbelief, Kyra swung it up and down - once, twice - drew some of the energy up into the blade, and released it with a whirling roundslash that raised a thin film of dust from the concrete. Without breaking her movement once, she slid the blade into a slot on the shield, pulled a telescoping handle from the hilt, and swung the entire contraption ahead of her. Expertly balancing the unwieldy contraption, Kyra twirled it around her body like an axe - once, twice, three times - crouched back, and finally hurled it forth. The axe blade clanged against the concrete as Kyra vaulted over the weapon - pressing the release switch, retracting the axe handle, and lifting the sword blade out of its slot in mid-leap. The entire mechanism had shifted back into two separate parts before her feet even touched the ground.

Sliding the blade into its slot again, Kyra spun the shield around and placed the entire bundle on her back. "The key to mastery of the charge blade is to know your way around the weapon. You already know how to swing a sword, but this thing isn't just a sword. You want to have fluidity between sword -" at this she drew the sword again and merged it seamlessly with the shield - "and axe, and more importantly you want to know when to be in which mode. Slow transformations, or being in sword or axe form at the wrong time, can mean life or death out in the field. Any questions?"

Felix raised his hand. "You said you'd tell me about that egg."

Kyra glared at him and sighed. "Didn't I say no questions about the egg?"

"You said you'd tell me about it when we got back from the smith..."

"Fine," Kyra huffed, returning the weapon to sword form. "Could I please just finish the lesson first?"

Without waiting for a response, she cast the charge blade in front of Felix with a clatter. "Have a go."

He stood, picking up the shield as Kyra fluttered to the opposite end of the dojo and lifted her own charge blade out of an equipment chest. It was a different material than his own, made almost entirely of sand dragon scales - each one a glossy red-gold and almost as wide as Felix's arm. The name "Dah'ren Mohran" briefly meandered through his head, only to be interrupted when his mentor cleared her throat.

"Pick up your sword, sunshine," she snapped, her voice nearly a snarl. "Show me what you've got." Her sword was drawn, and it sparkled as she bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Felix picked up his sword, shook out his arms and lunged. Kyra held out her shield, deflecting the blade sharply to the right and shoving Felix off balance. Using the change in momentum, he rolled and held up his shield as she pounced forward, barely blocking her vicious slash.

Moving fast, Kyra slammed her sword and shield together and snapped the handle out of its socket. The flat of the axe collided with Felix's side, sending him flying. Before he could recover, Kyra was behind him, putting him into a choke hold with the axe handle.

His hands flew to the axe handle, attempting to loosen it from his neck, but to no avail - Kyra was surprisingly strong for her small size. He flailed frantically against his mentor's choke hold. Her breathing was loud and sinister in his ear. At the last second, when he felt about to black out, he heard her sigh and felt her loosen the axe handle, then drop her weapon to the floor with a clang. Felix dropped to his knees, clutching his throat, as Kyra backed away and sat down on the floor.

When he faced her again, the first words out of her mouth were, "It was a special dispatch mission."


	9. Chapter 9: Special Permit

Chapter 9: Special Permit

 _Three months earlier..._

Kyra unrolled the quest permit, looking it up and down.

 **ADVANCED: Special Dispatch - Silver Rathalos + Gold Rathian**

 **Extremely dangerous wyverns in highly aggressive state spotted near the Tower on 02/24. Both rare variants of Rath and fully grown adults. Female is hypothesized to have laid one or more eggs within the last seven days, possibly leading to heightened territorial behavior.**

 **Requirements: Neutralize threat. If possible, sedate and relocate to less inhabited area. If necessary, or if there appear to be any eggs present, it is permissible to slay specimens.**

 **WARNING! This is a high-risk assignment. For your own safety, please DO NOT REGISTER FOR THIS QUEST WITHOUT A G-1 PERMIT AND AT LEAST ONE QUALIFIED PARTNER.**

She set aside the quest permit for a moment and selected her gear. Fully dressed in soundproof Najarala attire, with her Kirin-horn staff on her back, she loaded supplies into her knapsack, then left in search of her hunting partner.

Sesi Midgard was waiting in the gathering hall. Seeing her girlfriend enter, she smiled and wrapped her in a long-armed hug. "You kept me waiting, you little fool." She was tall and sinewy as Kyra was short and bony, and clad in scuffed Monoblos cortices from head to toe.

Kyra shrugged, rustling her shoulder plates. "Can't be too careful."

Sesi eyed her curiously as she passed her hunting license and quest permit over the counter. "You're being awfully cautious, K.A. Where's the carefree, happy-go-lucky Kyra I know? This one is so _boring_."

Kyra laughed and playfully punched Sesi in the shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

"I'm telling the truth!" Sesi protested as they walked out the door, stamped quest permits in hand.

The light transport dropped them off at the base of the tower, and Kyra looked up and thought she saw something bright and shining at the top.

Sesi cracked her knuckles. "All right, let's deal with these suckers."

"The wyverns or the stairs?" Kyra grinned mischievously at her girlfriend.

Sesi grinned right back. "'Atta girl."

 _. . . . . . . . ._

The Rathian saw them first.

She was perched atop a column on the far side of the tower, but upon noticing the two young women on the platform, she carefully stood and stepped down from her roost. Kyra could see something white and egg-shaped atop the column, but she didn't have much time to look before the shining gold wyvern screeched at her. The Rathalos was nowhere to be seen.

Exchanging a sly glance with Sesi, Kyra shook out her arms, jogged in place for a moment, twirled her staff off her back, and dove to the side to avoid the Rathian's charge. Recovering, she pole-vaulted into the air and swung the weapon in a perfect circle, striking the wyvern's back scales and knocking her to the ground.

Sesi ran up, lifted her enormous greatsword off her back, and brought it down hard on the fallen wyvern's head. The blade bounced harmlessly off the flawless gold scales, but the Rathian roared in pain regardless. Righting herself, her eyes blazed. Shreds of flame and smoke emanated from her mouth and snout.

Kyra and Sesi grinned at each other, and went for the tail.

 _. . . . . . . . ._

On her last legs, the Rathian was pitiful. She cast a final desperate glance over at the column she had been roosting on, let out one last squawk and gave up the ghost where she stood.

Kyra and Sesi whipped out their hunting knives and carefully removed small samples of material from the dead she-wyvern - scales, wing webbing, tufts of needlelike hair, smear slides of potent Rath poison, tiny vials of the glowing fluids unique to the silver and gold wyverns alone. They would be sent to research centers, assuming the two made it back. They photographed and tagged the corpse, jotted down its measurements and coordinates, and would have climbed the pillar for the egg if they hadn't been interrupted by a not-so-distant bellow.

There was the screeching roar of an enraged Rathalos and a silver streak descending from the heavens as the King of the Skies dove towards his prey.

 _. . . . . . . . ._

Kyra and Felix sat facing each other on the concrete floor of the dojo, their weapon parts strewn about, untouched. She was silent, staring at her feet.

"What happened to Sesi?" Felix asked quietly.

Kyra took a deep breath. "The Rathalos got her in his claws. Flew up in the air to breathe fire at me, and she was in his claws. She would have been perfectly fine but... I missed."

Felix clapped his hands to his mouth. "You don't mean..."

"Oh! No, she lived," Kyra added hastily. "It's just... I couldn't get him to let go of her in time. I always told her that those beat-up cortices had too many weak points, and one of those claws was bound to break skin at any time -"

He winced, realizing the implications. No matter the subspecies, it was well known that all mature Rathalos secreted a potent venom from their claws.

Kyra continued. "I sent out a signal for some support, and they managed to subdue the Rathalos. I got away with a couple of first-degree burns, but Sesi... she had a puncture wound below her ribs. She still lived though - she's the most stubborn person I know. Even tried to fight the medic when he was giving her the antidote." She chuckled, then sighed. "But that's not the kind of thing you can totally bounce back from."

"Did she still live?"

Kyra nodded. "She did... but she wasn't able to hunt again. The Guild let her off into early retirement, gave her a nice pension for her service." She looked back down at her feet. "I haven't seen her since."

Felix uncrossed his legs and put his hand on his mentor's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Kyra smiled and moved his hand away. "Don't worry about me. And, anyways, my story isn't over yet."

 _. . . . . . . . ._

It was a day later. Nursing her burns, Kyra stood on the summit of the tower.

The pillar where the shining gold Rathian had nested the day before stood stoically in the center of the platform. At the top she could see the white something from the day before, but today it had no vicious dragons protecting it.

Favoring her left arm, Kyra scrambled up the pillar, and gasped.

Instead of the typical brood of three to five eggs she knew most Raths to raise, the nest held only one.

There were no traces of any other eggs in the nest, but the single pearl in the dead center of the pillar was over twice the size of an average wyvern egg. Even in her padded greaves, it reached above her knees.

She reached out and tentatively placed her hand on the creamy surface. It was smooth and just slightly warm. If it was immediately put into incubation, the wyvern chick inside would hatch alive and healthy.

Casting a furtive glance around her and listening carefully for any monster sounds, Kyra scooped up the egg and began carefully making her way down to the platform. Safely descended from the pillar, she hefted it onto her good arm and broke out into a sprint.

She had made her choice.


End file.
